Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2026
11:12
Controlling Parkinson's Disease With Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation
Published on: July 16, 2014
Weight change following deep brain stimulation for movement disorders
Roy E Strowd1, Michael S Cartwright, Leah V Passmore
1Department of Neurology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
Journal of Neurology
|March 12, 2010
Summary
Patients undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) for movement disorders like Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET) experience significant weight gain. This weight increase, averaging 1.8 kg over 24 months, is not influenced by patient demographics or stimulation target.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Neurology
- Metabolic Medicine
Background:
- Parkinson's disease (PD) and essential tremor (ET) patients often experience progressive weight loss.
- Previous studies on weight change after deep brain stimulation (DBS) were limited by small sample sizes and focused only on PD patients receiving subthalamic nucleus (STN) stimulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate weight changes in a large cohort of patients with movement disorders following DBS.
- To identify factors influencing weight change after DBS across various stimulation targets.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 182 patient charts undergoing DBS of the STN, VIM, or GPi.
- Weight data collected preoperatively and up to 24 months postoperatively.
- Multivariate linear regression with repeated measures to analyze weight change, adjusted for baseline weight.
Main Results:
- A statistically significant mean weight gain of 1.8 kg (2.8% increase from baseline) was observed up to 24 months post-surgery.
- Weight gain occurred at a rate of approximately 1 kg per year.
- Significant weight gain was also observed in Parkinson's disease patients (2.3 kg, 4.2% increase).
- Weight gain was not predicted by age, gender, diagnosis, or stimulation target.
Conclusions:
- Most patients with PD and ET gain weight following DBS.
- Weight gain after DBS is a common occurrence and is not dependent on patient characteristics or the specific brain target stimulated.
